Golden Crosses
by ElvenSailorGirl
Summary: [Diabolo] About the origins of Rai's cross necklace, and the 'Ashes to Ashes' speech


**Disclaimer**: I don't own Diabolo. Period.

**Author's Note**: This was trying to burrow its way out of my head, and that wasn't a pleasant feeling so I wrote it. It's about the 'Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, Evil to Darkness' mantra thing and how Ren and Rai came to use it and where Rai got the cross necklace. (Please don't shoot me if anything about the priest doesn't fit. I just didn't want to model the 'religious figure' after the preachers I know. I figure they don't have many Southern Baptists in Japan.)

----------------------------

_**Golden Crosses**_

'The news is so violent these days. What with all the killings and such being proclaimed on TV and the radio, how could it not be?' The man thought while turning the dial on the old fashioned radio to find better reception of the news station.

"In other news, the leader of the teenage cult called Heaven is presumed dead. A seventeen year-old male is reported to have exited a condominium, which housed the cult's headquarters, carrying the body of a small child. He was gunned down by police as a hostile target. We have yet to hear if this male was the leader of the cult, but since his death 10 hours ago, the criminal attacks of the cult have all but ceased…," the voice of the news reporter cut through the static on the radio.

The man shook his head. The violence of this day and age was overwhelming. He touched the rosary beads sitting on the counter beside the radio and continued to listen.

"The young man's identity has been confirmed as one Ren…"

A confused expression crossed the man's face. 'I remember that name. Where do I remember that name from?'

"Hello Father." The orphanage director said as the priest entered the ramshackle building. A conglomeration of small children stood around the woman, clinging to the closest thing to a mother they'd ever known. The older children followed him with their eyes as he walked down the narrow hall that led to the dining hall, and falling in behind him after he had passed. He came every two weeks to tell them Bible stories. This week he was talking David and Goliath the Philistine giant. The passage was marked with a necklace with a golden cross. After reading to them, he would stay for a while just to speak with some of them. Sometimes all they needed was a friend.

After he was finished speaking, the children went out onto the small playground that was set up in the back of the building. It was nice, but still in left something to be desired. The children split of into groups, each group taking over an edge of the 'playground'. One boy, about seven years old, didn't go with a group. Instead, he sat beside the hedges around the back of the building. The priest walked over to him.

"Do you not like the other children here, son?" The boy made no response. The priest looked down on him and then squatted so that he was eye level with the boy.

"What's your name?" The boy's eyes meet the priest's.

"Rai," the boy's voice was almost inaudible.

"It's nice to meet you Rai. Would you like to talk, instead of sitting here all alone?"

Rai nodded and stood. He was tall for a seven year old boy.

"What would you like to talk about?"

Rai shrugged. "I don't know… Wait, I do know. Yesterday I made a friend. His name is Ren. I think he'll be my friend at least…"

It was obvious from the way he said it that he didn't have many friends.

"Why would you think that he wouldn't be your friend Rai?"

"Because I'm jealous of him."

"Why are you jealous?"

"He has a family. I wish I had his family."

The priest lowered his head. Rai was so young and it was hard to fault him for wanting what every 'normal' child had.

He opened his Bible and took out the necklace. He held it out to Rai. "Take it. It's a gift to remind you that God does things for a reason," the priest placed the necklace in Rai's hands.

"Even not giving me a family?"

"Even that."

"If you say so…" Rai looked like he didn't quite agree with his own words.

"And if you ever feel like you're having evil feelings about anyone, remember they're sent from Satan to confuse you. Remember the words I'm about to tell you and say them when ever you feel like that."

Rai nodded.

"Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, Evil to Darkness…"

----------------------

Hope you enjoyed it. Leave a review, and tell me what you honestly think.


End file.
